Bloody Romance
by Ku10-41
Summary: An AU set in Tokugawa period where Shinichi is the Chief Advisor to the Daimyō of Edo and Ran is an assassin sent to kill him!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** New AU alert! This one's set in Feudal Japan, where Shinichi is the Chief Advisor to the Daimyō of Edo and Ran is the assassin sent to kill him! Sounds interesting? It's inspired from a Chinese drama I watched recently with the same title as this story.

**Disclaimer**: Goes without saying that I do not own Detective Conan.

* * *

**_Chapter One_**

Quaffing a glass of _bijinshu, _the City Master of _Akayurei_ reached for the envelope placed on the stand in front of her, her long stiletto nails deftly opening the seal and unveiling the letter within. Unfurling the letter, her eyes swiftly ran over its contents, which turned out to be just two words.

_Kudou Shinichi_

Impassively, the blonde lady's eyes shifted their focus to the small woven drawstring bag sent along with the letter.

"Vodka"

The burly man idly fanning her immediately sprang into action.

"Yes, City Master?" He said, bowing to her from his position.

"Open it" She motioned towards the bag with her eyes.

He did as told and emptied the contents of the bag on the table.

Vermouth's eyes scanned over the five bricks of gold with mild interest before landing on what looked like a scroll. She picked up the scroll, unfastened the ribbon around it and rolled it open, the long sleeves for her vermillion yukata flowing over the inked calligraphy.

Her eyes glinted as she took in the contents of the yet unsigned decree.

Her blood-red lips lifted in a smile and she twirled with her wine glass.

"Vodka"

"At your service, City Master"

"Summon _Awamori_ at once"

"Yes" He answered in affirmative before bowing to take his leave.

She smirked as her eyes went back to examine the scroll. She will ensure they sign this decree.

After all, it's not every day that the _Imperial Court_ offers to grant Akayureithe status of its official intelligence division.

* * *

"The word received is that the attack is planned five days from now." Marshal Army General Hattori Heiji states in a grim voice. "I'm afraid we're seriously understaffed to withstand it."

"How many do they have?" The _Daimyō_ _of Edo_ enquires, shifting in his seat. He and two other men are seated in the courtyard of the Edo Manor. The courtyard is quite substantial as well as spacious, with just one _chabudai_ in the middle. The walls are aligned with several calligraphic scrolls and paintings. The front opens to an extensive lawn amass with lush green trees and plants of a varied assortment. Usually utilized for entertaining guests, there is a reason they are having this deliberation session here instead of the palace.

"Ten-thousand foot soldiers and a cavalry of two-thousand"

"And we have three thousand foot soldiers and a cavalry of mere five-hundred" Daimyō Megure Juzo stated in a matter-of-fact manner. "Seems like we're in a bind this time." He frowned, thin lines appearing on his forehead due to the action.

"If I manage to subdue their Marshal Army General, we can negotiate with the _Daimyō of Kyoto_ to make the rest of the army retreat. They won't be able to attack without a commander guiding them anyway." General Hattori provides.

"With all due respect General Hattori, if we proceed with your plan, we will be dealing with multiple contingencies." The third man in the room, who had been quiet until now spoke up and the two sets of eyes shifted to him.

"Firstly, the probability of a negotiation with the Daimyō of Kyoto will be conditional to your subduing the Army General of Kyoto. Pardon me; I don't dare to question your prowess. I am, however, not aware of General Okita's aptitude in the battlefield; and as far as my knowledge is concerned, you also haven't had an opportunity to clash swords with him till date. A small miscalculation and our territory could land in the hands of the Daimyō of Kyoto." The Chief Advisor stated candidly.

"And secondly, what is the probability that the Daimyō will retreat his army if we manage to subdue their General? He's aware our military strength can't rival his, even in the absence of their Army General. General Okita, is after all, but a pawn in his wider scheme of things. I don't see why the Daimyō can't sacrifice him and commandeer the army on his own." He finished his explanation, his gaze focused on the contents of his cup as he gently stirred it.

"Then what do you suggest we do, Kudou-kun?" The owner of the manor questioned the young man.

Shinichi stopped stirring his cup and his lips tilted in a smile. "We strike first." He suggested simply, lifting his eyes to meet the older man's.

Hattori cleared his throat to draw the gentlemen's attention towards him. "Care to elaborate Kudou-san? Because this sounds like a sure shot to defeat, at least with our present capability."

Shinichi directed his smile towards the General before depositing his cup on the table. "And the Daimyō of Kyoto _knows_ that."

He readied himself for an explanation. "About a month ago, Megure Daimyō received a "peace offering" from Daimyō of Kyoto. The offer suggested that in order to maintain peaceful military engagements in the future, Daimyō of Edo should annex his territory to Daimyō of Kyoto's." Shinichi supplied.

"This indicates that he's pretty confident in his victory since he has already offered us a chance to _surrender_. The attack is just a formality. He thinks he has already won the war. So, it's safe to assume that he's quite complacent and does not expect us to strike first because, as General Hattori stated, it would be a sure shot to defeat with our present capability." He lifted his cup to take a sip from it. The two men waited patiently for him to continue.

"In this short while, we cannot amp up our capability. However, we can _reduce_ theirs."

"What are you implying, Kudou-kun?" The older man dug for an explanation.

"What I'm trying to suggest Megure Daimyō, is that we eliminate their ammunition." The two men's eyes widened in understanding.

"It takes four days to reach Kyoto from Edo. I suggest we set out two of our trusted men today itself. They will reach Kyoto a day before the prospective attack. They will track their ammunition chamber. The night before the attack, they can set it ablaze; eliminating their entire weaponry." He smiled. "We can catch them off-guard when they're least expecting it" Shinichi proposed, locking eyes with the two men.

"It would take them months to obtain new weapons. On the other hand, the Daimyō of Kyoto, given his vanity and over-confidence, will not call off the attack. However, without their combat weapons, even ten-thousand plus soldiers won't be able to stave off a fully-armed and equipped army of three thousand soldiers. I am confident General Hattori can handle it from there." He finished with a smirk.

"That" General Hattori found his voice at last "is a brilliant strategy." Shinichi just flashed him with one of his arrogant smiles.

"As expected of you, Kudou-kun. You're not my Chief Advisor for nothing." Megure Daimyō smiled at him with a sense of pride.

"It's all because of your kind grace, Megure Daimyō" Shinichi said, bowing to him.

* * *

The brothel resonated with the loud clamour of merrymaking soldiers, who were expending their night drinking and ogling at young beautiful ladies beguiling them with an array of traditional dances.

The brothel happened to be en route to the _City of Kanazawa_, the home city of the Inouye Army, which they were returning to after emerging victorious in the battle of _Wakae_. The brothel was being used as a stopover for spending the night, in addition to holding an informal celebration for their win.

General Nishiyama, Major General of Inouye Army was seated between his comrades enjoying the performances and guzzling sake.

"Nishiyama-_taisho_, I've brought some good quality wine especially for you" Madam Kimura, owner of the brothel slinked towards him, an exquisite bottle in her hands.

"Why, thank you Kimura-san." He said extending his glass to her with both his hands. She gingerly poured it into the glass.

"Did you like anyone till now?" She said eyeing the dancer on the stage at the moment. "If you do, please tell me immediately, I'll send her to you right away" She finished with a sly grin directed at him.

"Not yet" He said sipping the newly poured wine from his glass, a lascivious grin plastered on his face as he continued leering at the dancer's exposed legs, visible through the slits of her kimono, purposefully drawn to tease the spectators.

"Izumi-kun" Madam Kimura called out. "Bring Haruhi out"

After a few minutes, the said girl was ushered on the stage. The dim lighting of the brothel lit her figure, and the audience took in her features.

Dressed in a bright yellow-red silk kimono, embroidered with patterns of leaves and flowers- _orchids_ and the persian red belt immaculately tied in a bow behind her revealing her slender and curvaceous form, the girl was _beautiful_. In fact, beautiful would be an understatement. Her light skin contrasted perfectly with her bright attire and she emitted a heavenly glow, as if her skin had been cultivated under extreme care. Her chocolate brown hair was tied up, with hair accessories decorating the bun. Her lips were glossed red and she was wearing light makeup. Her lean fingers, fringed with artificial decorative nails, held a hand fan between them.

She bowed to her audience and when she looked up, her violet eyes met with the General's. He clearly seemed to be appreciating her beauty.

Izumi started playing the _koto_. Haruhi started dancing in light, graceful movements attuned to the music, as she performed the _nihon buyō_. The long sleeves of her kimono rode up and down as she swayed her arms, revealing her milky white forearms. Her lips were set in a calm smile, and her eyes had a glint in them. She held an enigmatic aura around her.

"Haruhi has joined us only recently, but she's already our best dancer." Madam Kimura said, smiling. "She's quite popular and guests from all over the city come to see her." She said, her eyes not leaving the stage.

"I'll have her" General Nishiyama said suddenly, his eyes fixed on her form and lips quirked in a lustful smile.

"Haruhi is our best dancer, but also our most _selective_ one" Madam Kimura said. "Several guests have offered up to thrice the amount of our charges just to get a private rendez-vous with her, but have been turned down." She finally locked eyes with the General and smiled. "She will decide if she wants to see you."

"Interesting. She's picky." He smiled, as he took another sip of his wine. "I like it."

After Haruhi finished her performance, Madam Kimura headed over to her. She whispered something in her ear, pointing towards General Nishiyama.

Haruhi's eyes locked with Nishiyama's and she returned his smile. She whispered something back and headed back to her quarters, leaving Madam Kimura standing there surprised.

After a few seconds, she recovered from her initial perplexity and made her way towards General Nishiyama.

"She's waiting for you in her room. It's the third room to the right down the hallway." She smiled. "Enjoy yourself, Nishiyama-taisho. You are our first guest to get a tryst with her" She gave him a salacious grin and left to take care of the other guests who had arrived with him.

* * *

The door closed behind him and he found her sitting by her dresser on the opposite end of the room.

"Welcome Nishiyama-taisho. I've been waiting for you" She said, without turning around.

He licked his lips as he slowly walked towards her. "I have to say, I have seen many beautiful girls…" He trailed off as he reached the dresser and Haruhi got up and turned to face him. "But none as alluring as you…" He said, tracing her face with his index finger.

Unperturbed, Haruhi swatted his finger away. "You are Nishiyama Hayato, Major General of Inouye Army." She finally looked up. "You were the one who wiped out the entire Murai clan, right?"

He smiled, clearly not paying much attention to her words, as he circled around her, leering at her form. "How does that matter right now?" He said, stopping in front of her, his eyes dark with lust.

The girl gave him an enigmatic smile, before proceeding to unfasten the belt tied around his kimono, and rid him of his upper garment. A full grin broke out on the man's face at this gesture.

"Actually, it's quite important" She said in a calm voice, the smile on her face not faltering as she ran her smooth fingers down his chest, the man reveling in its sensation. He was so lost, he didn't even notice her nick some skin on his chest with one of her rather pointed nails, drawing out blood.

"Because someone gave their entire life's savings to get rid of you in order to avenge them" She said simply, now looking in his eyes.

"What?" Before he had enough time to react, he hunkered over on the ground clutching his throat.

"Don't worry. I used a special variant of _Zakarashi_ poison. You'll die a quick death." She said, watching him gravely as he choked and his mouth started frothing blood. He cried and yelled but his sounds were drowned by the noise of the merrymaking soldiers outside.

After a few seconds, he stopped struggling and lay motionless on the floor.

_Awamori_ collected her bearings and made her way out of the room and out of the brothel smoothly, as if sneaking out after killing people was second nature to her.

* * *

**A/N:** How is it? You guys like it so far? Please let me know! This amateur author lives for reviews!

P.S: For the uninitiated, she laced one of her nails with poison and when she cut his skin, it assimilated in his bloodstream and killed him ;)


	2. Chapter 2

**TW:** Violence/Torture/Self-harm

**_Chapter 2_**

A heavy downpour beat on the street as strong winds roared and rattled the trees fencing the street. It was past midnight and the street was deserted. There was no visible sign of life anywhere in sight. It was pitch dark except for a brief scintilla of moonlight that managed to filter through the thick black clouds.

Suddenly, sounds of cantering could be heard from a distance. A lone horse was galloping down the street, its rider in a hurry to reach their destination.

However, the young rider halted the horse once he sighted something, or rather someone in his path. Although the heavy rain was clouding his vision, he could perceive that it was the body of a person lying in the middle of the road.

He pulled up the horse a few feet away from the body, and got down. Ignoring the heavy beads of water hitting his face and drenching his body, he made his way towards the unmoving figure.

He knelt down next to the body, which was turned away from him; and pushing aside their long hair, he delicately placed a couple fingers on their exposed neck to check their vitals.

_Alive_. He thought. _Alive but dying_. Because although the pulse was present, it was _weak_.

Carefully, he turned the person over on their back.

It was a woman. A young woman; probably in her late teens or early twenties.

He only noticed now that she was injured. And badly so, because she was heavily bleeding. Or at least it seemed so, watching her blood coalesce with the running rainwater; forming a stream of blood flowing down the street. He grimaced at the sight.

His hand flew to her head. He'd sensed heat radiating off her body when he'd checked her pulse earlier. Brushing aside her hair, he placed his palm horizontally on her forehead and his suspicions were confirmed when he discovered that she was burning up. Withdrawing his hand, he bit his lip as he contemplated his next steps.

* * *

Awamori didn't have much to work with. All she had received from Vermouth was a piece of paper with a name inked on it and the word that the hit had been paid for by none other than the Imperial Court. Her first thoughts upon receiving that little piece of information was that her target must be quite high-profile if the _Imperial Court_ wanted him dead.

However, she was sure there was something more to this, because the way Vermouth's otherwise dull eyes glinted during their exchange suggested that this mission was _important_ to her. She knew Vermouth. No amount of money could light up those hollow, emotionless eyes. It must be something personal then. She is definitely gaining something more from this deal. Finding out what _that_ is wouldn't be so easy though, since there was no way she would tell her even if she asked. That woman is a brick wall. There's literally nothing that can break her. At least she hasn't discovered anything yet. Plus, that wasn't her focus right now.

Her eyes shifted back to the piece of paper she was holding. Her priority right now was to hunt up information on this man.

Two months. That was the time given to her to complete this mission.

She didn't really have to work too hard to find who he was when she actually started seeking out information. _Kudou Shinichi_ was a popular name in the circles, and held considerable reputation. He was the Chief Advisor to the Daimyō of Edo- Megure Juzo. _His_ _right-hand man_, as people dubbed him. Ever since he'd assumed the title of his Chief Advisor four years back, the Daimyō's popularity and approval among the people in his province, as well as outside, has skyrocketed. His state was doing much better, not just militarily, but economically as well. Over the last few years, Megure Daimyō rolled out several policies to generate sustainable jobs in his kingdom, owing to which, a considerable portion of their population had been lifted out of poverty. The state was on a growth curve, with prosperity on its heels. As a result, Megure Juzo's name was skating leaps and bounds across the realm, even catching the attention of the Imperial Court. He was slowly gaining power. In times of crisis, he was emerging as a hero who could lead his people to a brighter future. And if word was to be believed, _Kudou Shinichi_ was the brain behind all of this. He consulted Megure Daimyō on _every_ matter of the state, be it defense, economics or diplomacy. Some even went so far as to say that the Daimyō can't go about a day without him.

That's why the Imperial Court wants to get rid of him, Awamori mused. It is clear that the rising popularity of Megure Daimyō is hurting the powerful people in the realm. They are insecure and see him as a threat to their power. They are intimidated by the prospect of losing respect among the masses because of him. And losing respect was equal to losing power. If people don't look up to the Imperial Court anymore, it will be only a matter of time before they are replaced or overthrown. But they're calculative. And _careful_. If they touch the Daimyō right now when his popularity is at its pinnacle, it will surely ignite a furore. The public isn't that dumb. Sooner or later they will connect the dots and trace it back to the Imperial Court. They don't want that, obviously. However, if his Chief Advisor were to be killed in a supposed unfortunate accident, it wouldn't raise that many eyebrows. There would be no reason for the general public to suspect the involvement of an authority as high as the Imperial Court in the death of an insignificant Chief Advisor.

Getting rid of Kudou Shinichi would strip Megure Juzo of his best man; _of_ _his_ _brain_. With his best strategist gone, Megure's success and popularity will automatically plunge and the Imperial Court would achieve what they want without even touching him. They will kill two birds with one stone. And they're making sure to be extremely discrete even about this, which is why they contacted _Akayurei_\- the secret assassins society, so as to ensure that no one can trace it back to them. They know the assassins here are highly skilled, with near expertise in conducting such surreptitious assignments. Even if caught, they would rather give their lives than reveal the identity of their client.

Awamori smiled. That was quite a plan. They were scheming, this bunch at the Imperial Court. Maybe, that is why they were at the top. God knows how many more of such dirty games they must've played to be where they are today.

This Kudou Shinichi is pretty impressive though. He is just 22, and has already made his presence felt among the inner circles of powerful people, most of whom are atleast twice his age. For a mere Chief Advisor, he had surely drawn the attention of some very important people. He seemed quite brilliant- almost a prodigy; who had mastered several subject areas at such a young age. And it appeared that he had a heart too, since there was disguised socialism even in some of the capitalist policies passed by the Daimyō lately. He actually wanted to work for the betterment of people. That was a rare find in this line. Most of them were just shrewd, selfish and manipulative. They were all very typical and inherently the same, which made it easier for her to kill them. Kudou Shinichi didn't look typical.

Her smile faded. A tinge of guilt crossed her mind at the idea of killing such an accomplished young man, who wanted to work for the people. In these desperate times of rampant poverty and hunger, he was giving them something to hold on to- hope. Hope, that life could be better for them too. She had experienced first-hand, how life-altering hope could be. If she had even a flicker of it three years back, she would've probably been someone else today, doing something else; not living as an assassin. Her thoughts went to all the young girls like her, who would've probably been assassins in the making right now, had it not been for this man giving them hope.

The idea of staining her hands with such young talented blood, whose future prospects looked so bright; made her hate herself, and who she had become. It would be such a disservice to the society. It was on rare occasions like this when, her conscience, which she'd assumed was dead by now, pricked her and made its presence felt again. However, she had learned over time and practice, to shove it aside. There was no role of conscience in her line of work. It was a weakness. And a weakness can be manipulated. That was one of her first lessons when she had come to Akayurei. To find your target's weakness, and capitalize on it. Not let it happen the other way around. Everyone has a weakness. It is just a matter of finding it and using it to your advantage. And _beauty_, she had learned, was the most common weakness among men. Men who fell for beauty were the easiest to manipulate. All she had to do was seduce them with her charms, and strike when they let their guard down.

Her preliminary research on Kudou Shinichi had revealed that that wouldn't be an option this time. He was a _shut-off_. He didn't really give people a chance to come very close to him, both emotionally and physically. He was an intelligent man who was aware of his position, and the enemies he acquired in the course of his job. He knew the hazards of getting close to beautiful girls with lesser known backgrounds who were actively trying to befriend him. He was far behind in experience to most men in his field, but he was strangely perceptive about such things. So, using beauty as a weapon was out of question.

If Kudou Shinichi didn't fall for beauties, there had to be something else. She smiled. She wouldn't be among the best assassins in Akayurei if she didn't love a challenge. It was a known fact in Akayurei that Awamori had an impeccable track record in her missions. She had 30 hits filed under her name so far, all very intelligently executed. Almost none of them had been traced back to the assassin society.

Part of her job was conducting recon on her target and his surroundings. And be good at it. She had learned with practice to keep her ears to the ground. She ensured she found every minute detail about her target- his routine, habits, people around him- before she chalked out a plan of action. She did the same in this case too. She had learned some decent disguising techniques, courtesy of Vermouth which she used on occasions like this. She went to Edo, in the guise of a handicrafts artisan, selling lacquerware around the main city as well as Kudou Shinichi's immediate neighbourhood. She went door-to-door, chatting up several shopkeepers and local women, mostly housewives who are more likely to keep tabs on the people living in their vicinity, in order to gather valuable intel. She had mastered the art of not raising suspicion while trying to extract knowledge from the locals. Most of the people thought of her as just another friendly and chatty artisan who was curious about the neighbourhood in order to gauge where she could get maximum business from. By the time she returned, she was armed with enough knowledge she would need to kill Kudou Shinichi.

What she found from the townsfolk wasn't entirely surprising. According to them, Kudou Shinichi was a simple humble man, with a soft side for the distressed and needy. The people from the main city were all praises about the Chief Advisor, whom they described as an emphatic and down-to-earth person whom they could approach with their problems and be assured that the Daimyō would do something about them. And according to the oba-sans in his neighbourhood who had been watching him since he was a kid and were more sympathetic, they remembered him as a cheerful kid, who had grown up to become more recluse, especially ever since his parents passed away. They were the ones through whom she obtained info on his daily routes and general habits.

She found out about a grand celebration which is going to be hosted at the Royal Palace a couple days from now. She decided to approach him that night. She figured he would be the least wary of her if she approached him in a helpless, needy state. So, she trimmed her beautiful deadly nails short, changed into an old worn-out robe and tied up her hair in a messy bun.

Around midnight, she situated herself on the regular route he took from the palace to his house. She took out her sword and made several cuts along her arms and legs. Her previous mission had been relatively easy, and she'd accomplished it without getting a single scrape of wound on her body. Too bad that won't be the case this time.

Not because it hurt. There was some physical discomfort yes, but after all the torture she had suffered since coming to Akayurei, both physical and mental, she had become numb to the pain. It was only a minor discomfort now. Next, she took out a vial. It was a special type of poison which induced fever-like conditions and would shoot up her temperature within a few minutes, and she would probably pass out in less than half an hour of consuming it.

It was a risk. There was a chance Kudou Shinichi might not fall for her bait and continue on his way. If left in her injured and fevered state for a few hours, she would most likely die. But it was a calculated risk. She wouldn't say her calculations were never wrong. But she had perfected them over time and torture. The worst possibility was that she would die. She wasn't afraid of death anymore. Not after all the things she had experienced in her line of work. Death was the easy way out. She opened the vial, and swallowed the poison and lay down in the middle of the road. If her judgment was right, he would be passing her any minute now.

Several minutes passed. Dark clouds gathered in the sky and without warning, they started coming down in torrents. The blood from her cuts mixed with the rainwater and started flowing down the street. The poison was working pretty effectively, as she realized she couldn't move anymore and was fast losing consciousness. There was no turning back now.

As the last remnants of her consciousness was ebbing away, she heard cantering.

* * *

It was past midnight when Shinichi decided to take his leave after attending the celebratory feast hosted by Megure Daimyō in the Royal Palace of Edo after his victory over the Daimyō of Kyoto. It was a grand celebration, observing the presence of several dignitaries and well-wishers of the Daimyō from across the realm. The palace had been decked and lit up, and fireworks set off to mark the occasion. The soirée was far from over, but Shinichi had decided it was time for him to make himself scarce from the celebration. Most of the esteemed guests had already retired; and now it was just Megure Daimyō and his close associates going on a sake binge in his private courtyard, as a float of traditional dancers dazzled the guests with their _nihon buyō_, which would most likely continue for the rest of the evening.

Granted, Shinichi was also one of his _closest_ associates; however, the older man was aware that he wasn't really big on celebratory feasts and drinking nights; and he respected his wishes. He had known the young man long enough to perceive that he appreciated quietude more than noise; which was one of the reasons his residence was on the other side of the city, almost on its outskirts. It was closer to the woods, which rendered it serenity, and thus helped him relax.

It wasn't like he hadn't tried to make him a part of his celebrations. He had, initially. But he quickly realized that he wasn't a joiner when it came to grand fetes. He did stay when he coerced him to; but he could soon see that it was only out of respect for him, and not because he _wanted_ to. So, he let him be. Apart from being one of his closest confidants, he was also like a son to him. Even more so, after his parents passed away. His father, Kudou Yusaku, was his original Chief Advisor. Young Shinichi had accompanied his father many times to the Royal Palace during events. Megure had practically watched him grow and become the intelligent man he is now. After his parents passed away in an unfortunate accident four years ago, he had barely hit adulthood. The accident had shaken him to his core, and all of a sudden forced him to take charge of his life. He had offered to take him in at that time, but he had refused, saying he'd be fine.

And he did turn out just fine. He had quickly filled into Yusaku's shoes, as his new Chief Advisor. If he would be honest with himself, Shinichi had quite literally transformed the face of his kingdom over the last few years. Megure Daimyō's approval among his subjects had never been higher. And it was all thanks to the policies suggested by Shinichi.

Shinichi arose from his seat and made his way to the head of the courtyard towards Megure, brushing past the dancers, careful not to interrupt their performance. Standing in front of him, he bowed to the older man before expressing his wish.

"If you grant me, I would like to take my leave now, Megure Daimyō."

Megure smiled. "Very well then" He said, dismissing him with a wave of his hand.

Bowing before him for one last time, Shinichi made his way out of the courtyard.

Heavy dark clouds had already overcast the sky when he started from the palace. However, instead of being deterred and staying back in order to avoid getting caught in the storm, they only cued him to accelerate his stride as he kicked his horse into action, and within minutes, he was galloping down the now deserted streets of the city. He wasn't even halfway through, when it started pouring. The heavens roared as flashes of lightning illuminated the pitch-black sky. The chestnut brown stallion squealed in fear and his rider booted him to keep him surging ahead. By the time they traversed the length of the city, Shinichi was drenched to his bone. Households became sparse and only tall trees aligned either sides of the decrepit road, as he gradually left the bustling city behind.

However, his charger was reined in abruptly when he noticed something on the otherwise deserted path, through the haze of the rain.

His astute vision zeroed in on the figure lying on the road and discerned it to be the body of a person. Confounded, he alighted from his horse, and made his way to the body, a part of him hoping they weren't dead. And if they were….he wished it wasn't someone he knew from his diminutive neighbourhood.

Leaning over, he breathed a sigh of relief when he checked their vitals. He could still save them. He carefully turned the person over, in hopes of ascertaining their identity.

It was a woman. A fairly young woman. He mentally ran her face through his head, trying to match it with the handful faces he knew from his scant neighbourhood, only in vain. He'd never seen her here before. How did she end up in a place like this anyway? It was far from the city, almost on the edge of the woods.

But what bothered him more than her whereabouts was her _state_. There were several slits in her ragged and now soaked yukata, made from something sharp, probably a knife or worse, a sword; and she was bleeding heavily from those cuts. And he could tell she had been bleeding for quite some time now, as the rainwater had already washed away enough of her blood to create a river of vermillion flowing down the street. Her long hair was matted in mud and her face was pale. He frowned when he noticed that her features were twisted in pain. Sensing another reason for her expression, his hand flew to her forehead, feeling which he realized she was running a high fever.

Shinichi felt a pang in his chest. She looked so young. What could've possibly happened to her? Numerous unpleasant scenarios crossed his mind and he shuddered. He pushed those thoughts aside, and focused on contemplating his next steps. Had she been left here for a few more hours, she would've most likely died.

He bit his lip. It would be impossible for him to find a doctor at this hour.

Making a decision, he slid his arms under her slender frame, and lifted the brunette up in one swift motion, her petite figure coming to rest against his damp chest, and proceeded to carry her to his horse; as heavy rain continued to pour and beat the solitary path.

* * *

A/N: Good boy meets bad girl! Do sparks fly? Can the good guy make the bad girl change her mind? I'm not sure what to say right now XD Hope you enjoyed it! Please let me know! :)


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